Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-01-03
LETTER FROM MONTANA

N. Edisor.-ThlOS5ng your resti
ers IN Orlesas County mj2ls 10 in.
tere~,es3 in = description Of o,sr live.
I u the northwestern psr, - oa- caoa-
trv. venture % wits a letter for ,hs
MONITOR
I | arrlved 81 Billings, Montana. on
$ clear dsv II October, aud ~ / was
obliged TO stop over there one day |
had ti.,2e 10 hook around the city
some. 1t i about The Size of Barton
village. and bounded on the south
east nv the heaut7ful Snowy Noun
ssIns. which look 10 he only three or
four miles away. bat sre really more
than one hundred l stopped :, the
principal hotel. the '.HeaiqnarteIs. :
where the railroad men ali hoari-
Billings has two or three churches.
several stores. : poSt-oftice. hank.
sud : large brick School-house. in
which they have graded school. con-
siSoing OF four departments. visit
81 the primary. taught by lady
from the East. who seemed well fitted
f0T her work. At s. N the next
day 7 began nv stage ride OF $50
miles up north 10 Utica. The stage
leaves Billings for Fort Benton every
morning. changes drivers four times
and horses once in Is or 20 miles.
taking three days and two nights TO
make the trip. II is hard journey.
and the stage drivers here earn their
money The first day out was pleas
ant. 50 I had opportunity 10 obsezve
the country through which We were
passing. Montans Is rolling laud.
consisting OF benches and coolies.
not fat like Dakola. Some OF the
benches are four or FIVE miles long.
before We come 10 s little creek or
valley which forms = coolie. The
two principal rivers IN this part
are the MusSelshen and the Judith.
We passed by many irrigatiug ditch
e. Herds OF cattle and sheep feed
upon the dried grass. which cures a
il standS. and i more nutritious than
on hay
Prairie dogs and gophers look up
81 u IS re pass. while the bleaching
bones OF the buffalo. which has De
come s thing Of the past. are scatter
ed along the plains Their horns.
when picked Up from the ground
where they are lying are rough and
un>ightly enough. but when polished
become black and shining. and when
mounted. make very pretty ornaments.
Raising cattle and sheep Is the priD-
clpal occupation in this section OF
the territory On the rancho where
/ am stopping. there are st present
y. 900 sheep and 400 cattle. Il is
known Is the Sage Creek Sheep Co
The cut Of wool this summer from
1900 sheep was s., 600 pounds of
wool. which brought the company
251z cents per pound Twelve or
fifteen men are employed 10 shear the /
sheep. One sbearer cut 1.760 pounds /
in sixteen DAYS. Each herder has /
his own band Of sheep. q dog, a cor
raj. where he drives them at night. /
and little log cabin. where he /
sleeps ana does his cooking. Il Is 8 /
fact that Montana i both the hottest /
and coolest part OF our country: vet |
The snow does not come to remain as
il New England. After : snow
storm the wind piles the snow Up in
he coolies 50 the sheep can fnj feed
Oh the benches. O sometimes there
Sill come 3 warm wind and melt the
snow all away III a short time. There
: 10 sleigbing here, and the most
common mode Of travelling. practiced
1y ladies as well As gentlemen. is
horseback riding. People here think
nothing Of starting on 3 journey Of
NO or three days on horseback. The
stations are far between, and town"
: long way from home. a village
means tEo OF three dwelling houses.
! hotel, Post-ottice and saloon.
LIZZIE O. MONTGOMERY.